ABSTRACT
MOTION CAPTURE, OFTEN CALLED “performance capture,” is the recording of motion inthe real world through various sampling means to drive the action of a digital character or representation of a performer. Historically, motion capture is descended from rotoscoping where the motion of an animated character is derived from the frame-by-frame tracing of prerecorded video or film footage. Motion capture, often simply called mocap, and often jokingly referred to as “The Devil’s Rotoscope,” is the sensor-based capture of performance motion in 3D. Sensors range from magnetic markers to video and essentially try to keep track of the motion of the performer over time. Motion capture is used for animation production, video games, and real-time interactive installations. For a variety of reasons ranging from time constraints to budget to aesthetics, motion capture is a powerful and complex means of adding motion to digital characters.
